Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1887-09-03
THE REV. DR.. TALHlaR
THE BROOKLYN DIVINE'S SUNDAY
SERMON.

Genesis XII, "a.
These were the words Of Joseph, the Presi-
dent Of the first insurance company that
theworld ever saw. Pharaoh had u dream that
distracted him. He thought he stood on the
banks OF the River Nile, and saw coming up
cut Of the river seven fat, sleek, glossy cows,
and they began to browse in the thick grass.
Nothing frightful about that. But after
them, coming out of the same river, he saw
seven COWS that were quaint and starved, and
the worst looking cows that had ever been
seen in the land, and in the ferocity of hunger
they devoured their seven fat predecessors.
Pharaoh, the King, sent for Joseph to de-
cipher these midnight hieroglyphics. Joseph
made short work of it, and intimated the
seven fat COWS that came out of the river
are seven years with plenty to eat, the
seven emaciated cows that followed them
are seven years with nothing to eat.
Vow said Joseph, "let us take one
prosperous years and keep it as provision
for the seven years in which there shall be no
corn CROP The King took the counsel
and appointed Joseph. because of his integ-
rlty and public spirstedness, as the President
Of the undertaking. The farmers paid
one NTH OF their income as premium. In
all the towns and cities OF the land there
were branch houses. This great Egyptian
life Insurance company had millions of dol
lars as assets After awhile the dark days
came and the whole nation would have
Starpedif it had not been for the provision
they had made for the future. But now
these suffering families had nothing to do
hut 60 up and collect the amount of their
life policies. The Bible puts it in one short
phrases "'ln all the land of Egypt there was
bread" I say this was the first life insurance
company. 1t was divinely organized. 1t
had in 1t all the advantages of the ''whole
life PLAN of the tontine plan," of the re
III ~.
g0odplans We are told that Rev. DIR. An
hate, of Lincolnshire, England, originated
the first life insurance company in 1893. Mol
1t is as old as the corn cribs of Egypt; and
God himself was the author and originator.
If that were not so / would not take your
time and mine in Sabbath discussion Of this
subject. I feel it is a theme, vital, religious
and of infinite import, the morals of life and
fire insurance.
About ten or twelve years ago there was
great panic in life insurance which did good
Under the storm the untrustworthy and bo-
gus institutions were scattered, while the
genuine were tested and firmly established,
and where docs the life insurance institution
stand to-days What amount of comfort of
education, Of moral and spiritual advantage
Is represented in the simple statistic that IN
this country the life insurance companies in
one wear maid s., 00O, 900 TO the families of the
berefts and in five years they paid $500, 00J
OSO to the families of the bereft; and are
promising to pay--and hold themselves in
readiness to pay-S2, 000, 900 to the fami-
lies of the beTeftl
They have actually paid out more by divi-
Gends and death claims than they have ever
received in premiums l know of what
speak. The life insurance companies of this
country paid more than 100000 of taxes TO
the government in five years. So, instead of
these companies being indebted to the land,
the land IS indebted TO them. To cry out
against life Insurance because here and there
one company has behaved badly Is as absurd
as 1t w0aa be for a man to burn down 900
acres of harvest field in order to Kill the moles
and potato bugs-as prcposterous as man
who should blow up a crowded steamer IN
snid-Asiantsc for the purpose OF destroying
tAc baTnac Is On the bottom Of the h-.i
But what docs the Bible say in regard to
this Snbiect2 Ii the Bible favors the mstitu-
tioc, I viii favor it; if the Bible denounces it,
viii deEounce it. In addition to the fore
cast of Joseph in the text, call your atten-
tion to Raul's comparison. Here is one man
who, through neglect, fails to support his
family while he lives, or after he dies. Here
IS another man, who abhors the Scriptures
andreiects God. Which of those men is the
WORSE Wei, YOU say, the latter. Paul says
the former. Paul SAYS liat a lsan who neg
lccts to care for his HoasshOia is more obnox-
sous than a man who rejects the Scriptures:
c5ally those Of his own household, is worse
than an infidel.n Life insurance companies
hclo most of us to provide for our families
after we are gone. but. if we have the mo ey
TO pay the premiums and do not pay them,
We have no right to expect mercy at the hand
Of God in the Judgment. We are worse
than Tom Paine. worse than Voltaire,
ard worse Than ShafteslDul-v. The Bible de-
clarcs tive are worse than an infidel.
After the certificate of death has been made
ont, and thirty or sixty days have passed, and
the officer of the life insurance company
comes into the bereft household and pays
down the hard cash Oh an insurance policy,
that officer of the contaauy is performing a
positively religious rite according to Che
Apostle James, who SAYS: True religion
and indebted before God and the Father IS
this To visit the fatherless and the widow
in tllcir affection" and so on. The religion
OF Christ rraposes to take care of the tenn
paral wants . sls peo.le as well as the spirit
a. When i5ese ilh was dying the inlunc-
tsss cane to lam Set thy house in
Qsq2r-. luT thoa shalt Gle and not live
H., s.,srnrtson in onr day would
rrsa,,. .s5ialre N-nnr will settle nm yonr
s,,Ts,,,,,.s. mako ,bings main. don + de-
4 - ,-an- hrsTs with rolls ~ ,yortbless
nm, ,, : Sso,lr. don,t aoceive Them with
5,.sas for presteTs, lands that will never
Sscs1 any cros Ln+ chills and fever: don't
4 I - ~ sh,5a ,,otes that have heen ont
ea - 4 -. -, ,,,-o,,o,.t, :,